Friday, May 31, 2013

It's FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDAYYYYYYYYY!!!

Last Friday, May 24th we started our 3 day juice detox. The first 2 days were a little difficult...had a few headaches without my coffee and I was tired. Day three I felt great! At the end of day three Tony and I decided to continue with our fast but add a little veggies and fruit. Today makes day 8 that we've been juicing and I weighed in at 256.8 this morning! That is so exciting seeing as how I was almost 270 again on the 20th. I have also gotten back to walking every evening with my family. I haven't had a headache since Sunday and I wake up with tons of energy which I keep throughout the day! I also started drinking hot lemon water first thing in the morning because I've read that it boosts your metabolism for the day. Today is our Biggest Loser weigh in at work and I've lost 3.37% but Kacie is at a 3.48% loss. She hasn't weighed in yet this morning so unless she gained some weight she won the month!

It's been a little bit challenge!! Neil has eaten a shrimp poboy in front of me on Tuesday and then offered me the other half. On Wednesday he ate Cane's and then Thursday he ate China Doll. I am proud to report that I didn't give in!! This morning all of my coworkers had Burger King and MacDonald's breakfast which smelled wonderful but I wasn't even tempted! I'm so excited about this journey I've started and I can't wait to see where it takes me!! 

I hope everyone has a happy and safe weekend!!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Slow & Steady WILL Win This Race!

So, I'm down .6 pounds from last Thursday.  It's not a lot, but it's something and I'm ok with that.  As Shannon says, slow and steady wins the race. 
Speak of the devil - Shannon called as I typed her name.
I'm feeling a lot less stressed.  I start my new job Monday.  I paid my bills up to the 15th, which will be my first pay day.  Whew!  Dodged a bullet there.
I don't have too much to talk about this week.  I have been so busy trying to get things done this week.  I am so excited to start this new job.  I am also excited that I am still doing well at this weight issue.  I may not be going hard and fast, but I'm still going.  That's a HUGE improvement for me.
I am going shopping tomorrow for new work clothes.  I really have to dress it up at this place - do my hair, makeup, jewelry, etc.  I am going to need to learn to walk in heels sooner rather than later.  That is going to be a MAJOR challenge.  May include some sprains and/or broken bones.  I'm sure laughs will be had at my expense.  That's ok.
Well, I'm off to cook - I'll be back next week and with more to say!
Courtney

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

One persons NSV is another’s Motivation!


Y’all might recognize this picture from Nicole’s post yesterday.
 
While I am glad my husband can hoist my big ole butt up, I’m disgusted with myself for not only the way I look, but for the way I felt being up there. I felt like a cow. I could barely hold myself up. While it was HILARIOUS when it was happening, the after effects of seeing this picture can either send one into a downward spiral, or it can motivate. I choose to let it motivate me.

 

I have some things planned for June but I’m not ready to get into that yet. I have my Mother-In-Law’s dog at our house this week and I need to survive that first! Until next week!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

~Memorial Day Weekend~


May Challenge: Step It Up! WEEK FOUR:


Workouts Week of 5/20-5/26:

Mon: Gym-> Body Pump/ 60 mins/630 cals
                            +Ran: 1 mi/9:44mins/132 cals
 

Tues: Field Day @ Cjs school + Cut grass/yard work
              +Track-Walk/Jog/2.06 mi/36:50 mins/245cals

[2-a-day] Wed: AM:Gym->Bk & Bi w/Ab & Cardio
                              +PM:Track-Walk/Jog/3.04 mi/45:06 mins/417 cals

Thurs: Lunch Run w/ Hun:2.11 mi/22:31 mins/315 cals 
                 + 1 min Plank break (x3)


Friday:Gym->KILLER Leg Day!
Saturday: Hangover + BBQ w Great Friends=Workout:NONE!

Sunday:Family & Friendz Bike Ride

MFP Meals Week of 5/20-5/26: ~>Goal 1200 cal or less

The goal: Last week was to start logging on MFP every day....and that totally happened M-Th, then Fri-Sat-Sun same ol' didn't log=ate too much. I didn't go as crazy as the previous weekend but still I didn't control it. Work in progress, lots of work to be done in this area...Holiday weekend is now over. Hope to do better this week. 

NSV: Never did I think my hubs would be able to hold me on his shoulders for a pool chick fight, Super fun. & they did it a good 3 times or so...Whoooo! 
Good Times! :D      Nicole & Chad-Stephanie & Jackie & my CJ

Friday, May 24, 2013

Let the juicing begin!!

Last night my husband and I borrowed my in-laws Vitamix (which we used as a juicer), bought what looks like a garden full of groceries and started juicing!  Today my husband was at Sam's at 9:30 buying us our very own juicer and that's exciting!! We are doing a juice detox from the rebootwithjoe.com website. Today is day one of our 3 day detox. I have had two juices so far today and I have to say I'm feeling pretty good so far. We are contemplating doing a 10 day detox but we are starting with the 3 day and see how that goes first. Once our detox period is over, however long it may be, we are going to continue to juice but also eat a lot of fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds and beans. We will also have chicken, turkey and fish a few nights a week. I think we should watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead again tonight for a little motivation on our first juicing day...we may need it! Hannah is also adding juicing to her diet, we made her a carrot, pear juice that she loves! I'm happy to see her enjoying juicing as well!

This past week I have done a whole lot of just wishing I was juicing. I had my 2 shakes a day on Monday and Thursday but Tuesday and Wednesday I ate whatever I wanted (bad decision I know) and I didn't exercise once. I was a slacker. Tonight Tony and I are going to walker the neighborhood. I will be reporting next Friday on how this detox is going and if Tony and I haven't killed one another then I should be reporting lots of energy and a few pounds gone!! Wish me luck!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!





Thursday, May 23, 2013

Weight off mah shoulders and fat off mah body!

A weight has been lifted!  And I don't just mean fat.  I didn't mention it to anyone except my closest friends, but I was laid off from my job and last week was my last week.  I have been under SO much stress - how to find a job? how to pay my bills? how to breathe? how to not flip the f out? (wasn't exactly successful on this one by the way) how to do anything?  Well, as of today, I am employed again!  WOOHOO!!  I had my first interview with them yesterday afternoon, and by this morning, I had a call to go in and interview with the attorneys I'd be working for.  I felt so at home.  It was AMAZING.  The people that I met there are wonderful.  Whew!  Within the hour I received an offer and accepted!
Also, I am proud to say that I lost 5.6 pounds in the last month.  It's not two pounds a week like I wanted, but it's a loss!  And, I didn't gain the last two weeks while dealing with the job and money stress.  HUGE accomplishment for me!
Such good things seem to be coming. So excited!
It also helps when you have amazing friends to make things better.  You girls ALWAYS know how to make me smile and take my mind off of the sucky things in life!  Thank you!  Love mah girls!  (See, I said it!!)  lol
-Courtney

Copy Cat




So, I wanted to be like Nicole and post a day late! Kidding. I swore I would sit at my computer when I got home last night and blog, but that didn’t happen. I was in recovery from attack of the termites.

 

Time
Have you ever thought about how much time it takes to be healthy? Think about the time you spend at the gym, prepping food, logging calories and workouts, blogging, posting on Facebook, and eating for goodness sake (for those 5 meal a day-ers).  While I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing, I’m just saying that this is a true testament of how being healthy is a life style.

 If you aren’t willing to sacrifice time to be healthy, you might as well go to Wendy’s and have that cheese burger. You will save time prepping, cooking, and having another meal in 3 hours. I mean really, think about it. We say that bodies are made in the gym and kitchen but it’s also made on a watch. If you can’t sacrifice 30 minutes a day to get walk/documenting/meal prep in, what’s the point? It’s like, full monty or sit on the sofa.

I know that I am QUEEN of the slackers. I don’t LIKE to work out. I do slightly enjoy jogging but I’m not consistent. If there’s an excuse, I will find it. Do I want it? Yes. Was I willing to do it? Yes. But have I been making the time? Clearly, no.

This has GOT to stop. When I look in the mirror, I don’t like what I see. I hate what I see. Shannon made a good point that we are not just numbers and while that’s true, we are what we choose to be. It’s time for me to CHOOSE to be healthy. It’s time for me to CHOOSE to work out.  It’s time for me to CHOOSE to change.

I CHOOSE TO BE HEALTHY!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

PHAT PHAT N' ALL THAT!!!

I was hm yesterday and totally forgot to hit post..Sorry! ~ Nicole

Well...Lets start off w the GOOD.... 

May Challenge: Step It Up! WEEK THREE:

BREAKDOWN:
Mon: Gym-> Chest & Bi w/Ab & Cardio

Tuesday: Family Bike-3.64mi/32:52mins/208cals


Wed: Gym-> Bk & Tri w/Ab & Cardio

Thurs:Gym-> Cardio & Core

Friday:Gym->Leg Day

Saturday: Family Bike-7.95mi/54:29mins/447cals

Sunday:Fam/Friend Bike-6.11mi/49:08mins/346cals

The last few weeks I have started doing weight training again on MWF. But this time around Im also trying to add in cardio & ab work in bw sets so I am always moving the entire workout, no breaks. Still keping up the "cardio days" on Tues & Thurs and the weekends.  I like this routine.  Its something different than the bboring Lat X/Stair Master/Treadmill routines. So as you can see from above..another good week in the work out dept.  Summer is approching, school is nearing end. (2 days, YAY!) I love spending the afternoons bike riding or at the track w the family.  This is where I do good.  On a bad week, I workout at least 5 xs/week...

MY PROBLEM=FOOD! Always has been, still is today. 
I stay focused and on track during the week but I sound like a broken record at this point when saying, weekends all hell breaks loose. I eat any and everything in sight.  Im lucky to be maintaining by doing this. I am happy at how far Ive come...Im comfortable w the # I see on the scale.  I think  this is why I am ok w the splurge weekends.  But...I don't like the way I feel after eating, back to being sick and feeling like crap. Im not yet where I want to be. Its more about feeling good and I don't when I eat one bad meal after the next. I need to get a grip on the eating. I've mentioned to my friends Im all about tracking on MFP, but you won't catch me tracking on a day when I eat crap, conveniently skip those days. 

My goal for this next week will be to start logging on MFP every day & to hold myself accountable, I will be posting both my workouts and MFP entry nxt week! :/ EEK! LOL!

How do you keep yourself accountable to yourself and your goals??

Have a great week everyone!!

Monday, May 20, 2013

It's Monday Again!!!

Happy Monday Morning Everyone!  Hope everyone had a great weekend!  I sure did and it was a busy one!  All of last week was a busy one for me!!!!

Last week was all about proving to myself just how far I've come.  Between the scale, the pictures, measurements, and the way my clothes feel, I've got a lot of different ways to gauge the changes I've made, but nothing feels as good as pushing yourself to do something you couldn't do BEFORE because you know you are capable of doing it NOW.  Heading to the gym after work on Monday I was thinking about what I was going to do for my workout...do I do the treadmill and jog, or do the elliptical?  How far do I want to go today?  I finally decided that I would do the treadmill but instead of a 20 minute run that I would push myself an extra 10 minutes.  And I did it.  To prove to myself that it wasn't just a fluke, I did it again on Tuesday, and then Wednesday, and again on Thursday.  I was really doing this and that sense of accomplishment was amazing. 

Here's how the rest of my week (and workouts) went....

How My Week Went

Monday -   AWESOME!  Kicked it off with a 2.5 mile walk for work.  Hit the gym after work and did 5 min. warmup on treadmill/30 min. non-stop run/10 min. cooldown.  After my cardio I did the Body Pump class.  

Tuesday -   Walked to Rouses for a lunch salad.  Rouses and back was about 1.10 mile.  Hit the gym after work and did a 5 min. warmup on treadmill/30 min. non-stop run/10 min. cooldown.  Had to cut the gym short to get home to my online group meeting where we discussed...physical activity.  Ironic...no?  Cut the gym short to head home and discuss how important physical activity is?  LOL...  ANYWAYS!  Between Monday's run, then Body Pump, and today's run....my legs are SPENT.  But in a good way..if there is a good way to be so sore that you are struggling to sit on the toilet!

Wednesday -  Walked to Rouses for a salad and back - 1.10 mile.  Hit the gym and did 5 min. warmup on treadmill/30 min. non-stop run/10 min. cooldown. Then I did the Zumba class.

Thursday -  2.5 mile walk for work.  Hit the gym after work and did 5 min. warmup on treadmill/30 min. non-stop run/10 min. cooldown. No class for me because I was just tired and hungry... but then I got home, cooked my husband dinner, cleaned up, went grocery shopping, and did 3 loads of laundry.  So much for resting huh? 

Me in the yellow shirt on Thursday vs. Me when I first started this journey.

Friday - Rest Day! I left work at noon and headed home with the idea that I'd do housework in anticipation for a late Mother's Day dinner at my house on Saturday.  The idea worked perfectly...I got a lot accomplished.  I started off saying I'd do yard work.  I love yard work!  Yeah...cut and edged the backyard in 15 minutes...no problem!  Headed to the front yard and thought "I'll just tidy up the garden area real quick.."  From 1:30 til 5:00 I tore apart the garden!  I had huge overgrown plants, and a hail storm not long ago ripped all my plants to shreds.  I was so excited with the finished project that I forgot to take a photo.  But here's a shot I took during the tear down and clean up...


The majority of the garden was green b/c it was overgrown by the plants and the mulch had weeds popping up everywhere.  The flag was not visible because of a huge rubber tree plant that was growing right under it, and that front window was barely visible because of a huge tree.
 Saturday -  My nephew spent the weekend at my house.  Saturday morning he woke me up at 6:30!!!  Ugh!  At 8 we went walking in the Jean Lafitte Swamp on the Bayou Coquille Trail.  I suggested it because I knew we would see a lot of stuff with the warm weather and with it being spring/summer.  We saw 5 alligators, countless red birds, squirrels, dragon flies, lizards, turtles, etc.  We were most excited about the alligators.  One of those gators had to be at least a 12 footer!  It was massive!  I didn't get a picture of it though =(




Sunday -  Sunday's adventure was to cut my aunt's grass.  My job was to use my electric edger and edge along the house, the fence, the landscaping, etc.  Her grass was so overgrown that it was up to my knees!!!!  Craziness!  I was dripping sweat that kept falling from my forehead to my arm and because it was cloudy I kept stopping to see if it was starting to rain!  Nasty!  Then it was time to get painting done at my house.  We are going room to room and repainting and making it nicer.  Our master bedroom is finished and since my sister and nephew moved out, we are starting in that room.  That room will be the new office.  I chose a color called Roycroft Mist Gray for the walls, the ceiling is called Simply White, and the trim is called Moonlight White.  We put the first coat on the walls and on the ceiling yesterday.  So far, so good.

Here's a photo of the look I'm going for...


Adam and I's desks are matching.  The legs and drawers are black, but the top of the desks are a very pretty wood color, similar to the floor color in the pic above.  The wall color will look great with our desks.  I've also picked out curtains, curtain rods, and shades nearly identical to those in this picture.
 Adam took down the two ceiling fans so there's no light in our new office at the moment.  This is the only picture I took of the progress and it's not much to write home about because the sun was already going down and the room was getting dark.  I can tell you that the room was a blue color with brown trim and a gray ceiling when we moved in.  Ew!!!

I can tell you that this picture does this room no justice when illustrating its size.  There's a whole half a room you're not seeing that includes a closet and a big window that is double the size of the window in the photo.  It's a big room!

Here we are back at Monday again and I'm wishing the weekend were longer!  Ain't it funny how the weekend flies by but the week drags ass?!?!?!  Sad isn't it?!?!?!


What's New?

1.  Let's talk about Monday and the 30 minute running.  I've struggled with this for a while now...speed vs. endurance.  Which is better?  Which should I focus on?   My per mile pace on Monday was a 14 min. mile.  It was slow, but it was non-stop, and that's what I've been focusing on. In the past I've considered whether to increase my speed or focus on endurance....and ultimately decided to work on endurance.  This has paid off because I successfully ran 2 miles straight and that's HUGE for me! 

While doing the treadmill on Monday there was a lady next to me that I see at the gym a lot.  She is my age (maybe a little older), fit/athletic, and thin.  Absolutely someone I wouldn't mind looking like!  She was running on the treadmill at a faster pace than me but she had to continue slowing down the treadmill to breathe and then ramp up the treadmill to get back to her running.  She was clearly going for speed vs. endurance.  Which was better?  Clearly, by her athletic build, she's doing something right.  After thinking it out and seeing that I've got the endurance down (for now...I'd like to be able to go longer than 30 minutes in the future) I think in a few weeks I'll switch my focus from endurance to speed by increasing my speed little by little each time.  I'd like to spend the next 2 weeks continuing to push myself to 30 minutes non-stop and once that is comfortable, stick with 30 minutes but increase the speed.  Hoping to knock out 3 miles (non-stop) soon!

2.  This brings me to my next topic...the workout high...that workout itch you get when you just did an awesome workout and you can't wait to hit it hard the next day.  When I push through and do something I previously was unable to do, I get this high that has me wanting to go back for more.  Yesterday, for the first time, I ran 30 minutes straight, albeit slowly, and today I'm at my desk counting down the time til I leave so I can hit the gym again.  Will I do it again?  Who knows.  My Body Pump class and all the lunges and squats have my legs burning today, but it's days like yesterday where the workout motivates me to keep going.  I'm in a non-stop race against myself...constantly chasing that next goal, that next limit, to push myself past it.  When it comes to exercise I am very non-competitive.  I'm me.  I'm not the fastest, the strongest, the leanest, or the fittest person.  And I'm okay with that!  I don't know about anyone else, but I can say for certain that I am faster than I was yesterday, stronger than I was 2 months ago, leaner than I was 16 weeks ago, and the fittest I've been in YEARS.  I win. So what does all this mean?  It means don't compare yourself to others.  It means don't worry about what others say or do.  It means focus 100% of what you're willing to give on your goals and go for it. 

Why am I bringing this up?  In my online meeting this past week we discussed physical activity and barriers that people face.  One of the biggest barriers that people face, besides poor time management, is JUDGMENT.  People have a fear of going to a gym or fear of working out in front of others because of the judgment they may face.  As an overweight person you would think that I'd feel self conscious about putting on shorts (yes..SHORTS) and hitting the treadmill at the gym in front of everyone.  But I 100% am not self conscious about it AT ALL.  I'm there to workout.  I could care less what the people around me are thinking...and I'm sure someone in that gym is thinking something about me, whether negative or positive.  The gym I go to is very much a social place where the guys stand around staring at everyone, whispering, and doing more socializing than working out.  They check out all the cute little girls in their matching gym outfit (shoes match too...shoes are expensive, I can't afford to buy a pair of Nikes for every workout outfit I own!).  I'm sure as I roll by they look at me, but not in the same way.  I can see how this is intidimating to people who care.  Point is...you shouldn't care.  It's not about you, it's about them!  (My Five Fit Friends know this, but in case anyone reading cares, I'm telling you NOT TO!)


This picture was going around Facebook and I absolutely love it because it's SO TRUE!

  
3.  Thursday afternoon I had a skin cancer screening.  I had to get down to my bra and undies and had only a hospital gown to cover me.  The doctor came in and gave me a thorough screening and I'm happy to report that I have no signs of skin cancer.  He warned me with the usual...lots of sunscreen, seek shade at all times, sunglasses (to protect your eyes), hats (to protect your face), and yearly checkups.  It's scary when you think that you could potentially have a spot on your scalp and not even know it!  What complicates matters for me is that both my mom and sister have had melanoma (more than once for each) and have had to have it removed.  My sister has 3 permanent scars on her back, arm, and shoulder from recent (within the past 3 years) surgeries to remove her skin cancer.  Moral of the story:  Avoid tanning beds, wear sunscreen, get in the shade any chance you get, and get regular screenings! 

This post has gotten out of hand with so much to say so for today I'm going to end it here.  I'll have more to say in next week's post and hope to have more pictures of the new office as well!  I don't think we'll be doing much in the office during the work week because there's no light in there and after my evening gym routine, I get home as it's getting dark! 

Have a great week everyone! 

Friday, May 17, 2013

Juicing on a budget

So an awesome friend of mine told me about a movie called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". My husband and I sat down together last night and watched it. It's an informative documentary, after watching it I was ready to watch it all over again. If you haven't seen it please check it out! It's well worth an hour and a half of your life!

I would love to be able to start adding juicing to my diet right away but I have to put it in my budget...or should I say I have to try to figure out how to juice on a budget. So here's my goal:
Next Saturday (5/24) we are going to the Camellia City Farmer's Market to stock up on the veggies! We are going to juice (hopefully enough to freeze for at least 10 days). I will also need to get some freezable mason jars in order to keep the juice from oxidizing. Then change our eating habits to very micro-nutrient! Micro-nutrient is a new word for me and thanks to this movie I've learned exactly what it means. While I do eat fruit and veggies, I don't eat nearly enough of them.

While watching the movie last night I realized that I am actually more excited about the way I'm going to start feeling once I start eating this way. Seeing the people change in the movie, more energy, clear skin. These are all things I'm excited about!

Anyone reading this that has experience with juicing or has any helpful suggestions please let me know!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!



Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I will be slow, I will be steady, but damn it… I WILL WIN!


So, we did the color run as you may have read and what a fun time! Unfortunately, I didn’t get much jogging out of the run because my hubby was with us and he isn’t a runner but I didn’t want to leave him behind so we strolled along together. Regardless, it was a great time!!!

Also, we did a family walk with the kids and dog last night so while I didn’t get in a ton of exercise, I am glad for what I did and for the reservation I had with food. Not every day was 100% on the money, but I did put a GREAT effort in! I even limited myself with crawfish… although I may or may not have drank a bottle of tequila with Nicole’s husband…

Good times!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Great Week!!!

May Challenge: Step It Up!
WEEK TWO:

So as you can see, this was a good week. I managed to get my heart rate up and going everyday doing different workouts, and a few days I got in some 2/days...WHOOP! I feel good about it.   This week I plan to do alot of the same, but it is kind of a  stressful week. Last full week of school and teachers cramming in 1-2 test in each subject. UGG!  BUT, School is almost over, thank the good lord, only 7 more days and summer will be here.  Im hoping to get in alot more 2/days bc we won't have to run hm to study and do homework every afternoon. Im so excited!!!! YAY!!!! 
 
WORKOUT BREAKDOWN:
5/6 Mon: Gym->Chest & Triceps

5/7 [2-A-Day] Tuesday: TOTAL: 5 mi/66:13 mins/699 cals
AM: Run 2.5 mi/26:19 mins/373 cals
PM: Track->Walk: 2.5 mi/39:54 mins/326 cals                  
5/8 [2-A-Day] Wed:  
AM: Gym->Bk & Bi
PM: Track->Walk/Jog: 2 mi/27:46 mins/284 cals








5/9 Thurs: Gym->Cardio & Core

5/10 Friday: Gym->Leg Day!!

5/11 Saturday: Color Me Rad 5k (3.1mi)

5/12 Sunday:

This week was a busy/fun week. As Shannon already posted we all did Painting w a Twist, super fun. Love hanging out and relaxing just us girls!! Then of course the Color Me Rad 5k on Saturday was the best time! Idk if it was so much the actual race or just my fun loving awesome friends who made it a great experience...but I can't wait to sign up for the next one. My kids would have LOVED to do this race. So FUN!

 NSV:
 January 2013-May 2013
So, this pic made me feel good this week. Although the # on the scale is just slowly dropping, at this point. Over all I feel good! I feel like the work is still paying off.  I feel leaner, more toned. I feel like I can see a difference, less cellulite in my thighs, less jiggle.  My legs feel tight and full of muscle. The Leg Days are really paying off! Not to mention in these side by sides, to me-I look less wide. The bottom belly seems flatter, the top belly/muff top (lol) seems smaller and to have dropped. It's pics like these that help to keep me on track! Baby steps, but moving in the right direction, and that works for me!


~NEW PHOTOS~
 Check out the "Photos" tab. I posted a few new pics from our Painting w a Twist night and the Color Me Rad Race this past weekend.

Hope everyone has a great week.