Social Media and Healthy Tips

Instagram. Even if you don't use it, I would bet you have heard of it. I know I did for the longest time and for the longest time said I don't get it and why should I join when I already use Facebook and Twitter.....until now.

So many social media options!!

A few months ago a friend would only post on Instagram and I wanted to see the pictures she was posting so I joined. Thinking it was only for seeing a few people's pictures and that was all, imagine my surprise when as I started playing around more I found so many people posting about recipes, workouts, outfits, hair, weight loss. It was this whole other world I felt like I discovered and now enjoy very much. 

I follow some incredible people on Instagram, Twitter, g+, just to name a few sites, who have taken charge of their health and weight loss and documented step by step. I've really enjoyed seeing the different types of food people are are eating, and getting ideas for myself to make, but most importantly I started noticing how much or should I say how little they were eating. It got me thinking about my meals.

Some days it's like this.....

Just my size...what too much?
But if I take it off the bun it's low carb

Other days...

Oh you used up all your calories by dinner time...
too bad, now starve!

My calories and numbers say I am eating fine, but as you know I'm not dropping any more weight. When I think about my portion size I realize I'm not connecting to my stomach, I am connecting with my numbers. If I calculate I can have so many calories per meal you can bet your butt I am eating that amount even if I feel full. I am going to try and give my brain a rest from counting for a little and give my stomach and body a chance to speak. If I am stuffed, stop eating and if I am hungry I should eat. I know this may seem like common sense to some, but if you have dieted in the past and had a similar health journey like me then you know exactly what I am talking about. We are just hard wired different, but that doesn't mean we can't reprogram ourselves.  I am still going to make healthy choices and keep myself in check, but maybe knowing exact calorie and carb count isn't necessary.

My new plan for success

Hopefully I have some great weight loss and feeling good results to share soon. 

Eat What?

Eat carbs, don't eat carbs. Stay very low calorie, eat back your exercise calories. Macros. Keto. Weight lifting. Cardio. Primal. Paleo. Weight watchers. Nutrisystem.

HELP!  I am so confused and just want to get it right

Is anyone else completely confused when it comes to health and weight loss? My weight loss at this moment has stalled. I am frustrated and depending on who you talk to or what you read you get different information.

I was always taught calories in and calories out most important. Recently I was told I need about 1600 calories to lose weight and workout...but that seems like a lot for me. Just to add to the craziness I am now learning about macros (protein, fat, carbs).

See, this explains a lot!

So here is what I do know. I like to eat as clean as possible, reading ingredient lists now freaks me out on some processed foods. Sugar makes me feel terrible for days. Eating the wrong carbohydrates also make me feel terrible and I get this awful stomach bloat. My body loves fat (not on me, but eaten). I love lifting weights and working out and I am told I have to increase my carb intake to improve my muscles, but what about my stomach if I do that....

Hmm, maybe I should try this way of eating

I know there isn't a magic pill for weight loss and health, but come on there has to be a better way than this!!

Is that low calorie or a high fat way of eating

I just want to be healthy, have great workouts, get kick ass sexy muscles, and lose some weight.... thanks for letting me rant and if you are going through the same thing, I feel your pain and feel free to write to me.

Gym Training For the Body and Mind

Last week I decided to add in a third weight lifting training day. Time to really push myself. Trainer Mark has been encouraging me to add in the extra weight days.. Well it's time. Last week after my second day of training with Mark I asked him what muscle group I should do on my own the next day. After complete shock from him he gave me the plan and a high five for pushing myself.

I never understood when people said this, until now.
Best feeling when I complete a workout, dripping with sweat,
Amazed at what I just accomplished!

I left work the next day, heading to the gym, and was determined to complete the routine. I got my workout folder, starting looking at it, went blank in the brain, closed the folder, returned it to the cabinet and did cardio. FAIL! High five not earned. I felt defeated. I got home from the gym wondering what happened? Why did I basically turn and run? It's not because I am intimidated, because truth is, we are all their working on ourselves. So if that wasn't it, what is it? Then it hit me, I am not confident in completing the workouts and knowing how to complete them properly. Well that's a problem, since the whole reason I got a trainer was to learn. This means he is showing me, I am repeating, but not retaining...Not good!!

You have to start somewhere and grow

Frustrated. That's how I felt. I'm a smart girl, I work hard, I learn, so why should the gym be any different? It got me thinking about school. Kids and adults learn differently, some need to hear something, some need to see something, some need to do it only once and they remember. Me? I need to write it. I was like in school and I am the same way at work. If I need to remember something I will write it down on a post-in note. I may never see that post-in note again, but I will remember what it said, because I wrote it. Aha!  That's my learning style. 

My workout journal
Yes, leaopard print. Have to have some fun!

Time to incorporate that into my fitness. I found a small notebook and brought it with me to my next training session. I explained my plan to work, who seemed a little confused at first but never complained and was very patient. As I did a workout he helped me write it down including small details for me to remember like my hand placement, the amount of reps and weights, even my stance. 

Be kind to yourself.
You are learning, at least you are trying!

The next morning after I got ready for work I took a second and went through the routine without weights. I wanted to see if my plan of writing helped it click in my memory and here's the best part, it did!!  I was able to repeat the entire routine without looking at my notes, proper hand placement and all. I believe when you can do something without evening thinking about it, it's called muscle memory and I believe I have found a way to connect my brain and muscles!! I can't wait to try it on more routines this week. 

Dating, Single, and Happy

It's that time...dating update!

If you remember in my post called Dating Highs and Lows I mentioned that I had met someone through mutual friends; we hit it off and starting seeing each other. Over the next couple of months we had a lot of really fun times; and in addition, I learned a lot about him, dating, and especially me. At some point I think we both just realized our lifestyles and future plans didn't really go together. It's okay that it didn't work out between us. I still think he is a really wonderful guy who I hope to stay friends with and keep in my life. 

So back to the single world...

I always take myself on the best dates...like shopping!

Truth is, I don't mind being single. Sure I enjoy having someone in my life, but sometimes having the wrong someone in your life is worse and way more lonely. Yup I am speaking from experience. 

So very true

So what am I doing with all my free time...duh...going to the gym! I re-signed with my trainer, Mark. I am determined to make working out something that is always part of my life. I am also having a blast playing in the kitchen more, yes more food posts in the near future. I am going to try and switch up some of my food choices to see if  I can jump start my weight loss again, I will keep you updated. Plus I have been having the best time being more involved with my fire company, being creative and taking pictures again. 

I've learned it is important to be happy with yourself!
Live and enjoy

While I am perfectly happy being single, I find that my friends who are in relationships are not happy about me being single. I have a formal dinner for my fire company at the end of the month, I can count on one hand the amount of times I brought a date to this event. I don't believe in just bringing someone so I am not alone. If I bring you, it's because you mean something to me. Recently a friend of mine asked if I was going to have a date for the dinner, when I told her no, she made a very sad face, sighed, and said "don't worry someday you will meet someone and until then you have us to hang out with". I tried so hard not to laugh. I'm not worried, at all. I do believe I will meet someone for me someday and if that's not in the cards, that's okay too. I knew she was just being sweet, but she was way more upset than I was about going alone to the dinner.  Me? I am really looking forward to the dinner. I get to hang out with an amazing and fun group of people. Wear a really cute outfit. Take photos. Eat good food. How could I not be excited?!? 

I can't speak for everyone, but I know that I don't need a date to have a fun time. I promise to post some pictures after the dinner. 

For my final dating though on this post..... I believe that when you are being true to you, enjoying life, smiling, and laughing all the right people come into your world at the right time.  

I love Lady Antebellum music!!
This song made me get up and dance in my living room

Picture Hanging Mission Accomplished

I pride myself on the fact that for the most part if there is something I want to do or want done, I do it. If I want to try zucchini, I find out how to cook it and then try. Sure I have had some epic failures, like the time I tried to make taco meat and it came out tasting like rubber and for some reason my tongue was tingling for about an hour. But I tried. There has always been one thing that I refused to try. Hang pictures.  

Last April my family and I redid my bathroom. Truth, they did most of the work so that I didn't have to take off from work, but I pitched in whenever I was home. It came out absolutely incredible!! Since April, the only thing left to do was hang things on the walls. So since April those poor walls, in my beautiful bathroom remained bare, because I was too chicken to hang pictures and make a mistake.  

My bathroom remodel Those yellow walls had to go!
It truly was a family project.  Who knew my bathroom could mean so much to me

I know I know, sounds silly, but it's true. I would wait for my dad to be available to come over and hang things, but weekends were meant for fun things, not hanging pictures, so I would forget to ask him to come over. My mom and sister would encourage me to try, but I refused. I'm pretty sure my irrational fear of hanging pictures stemmed from not wanting to fail. What if I didn't put the nail in the right place and now I had crooked pictures and hole in the wall? I would have to move..okay maybe a little dramatic.  But you see where my thoughts were at...until recently. 

Huge difference.
This is why I didn't want to mess up the walls with holes

Time to conquer fears. I woke up one day recently, tired of my blank white walls in my beautiful bathroom. I had already picked out what I wanted on the walls, months ago, I just had to do it. So I went and got my little tool kit, took a deep breath, tried to remember the steps my dad would always take when hanging things. Biggest thing, match the nail to back hangy thing (technical term) on the picture NOT the top of the frame. 

My little tool kit has been with me since I first bought my place

So how did it come out you ask?? Gorgeous. I love how it came out! It really is amazing how just adding those few pieces to the wall brightened up the entire room. The best part, I did it! Every time I walk in the bathroom I smile...yeah that sounds weird, but it's true. I am so proud of myself for finally conquering that fear of mine. Now as I find great pieces for my walls, I won't be afraid to come home from the store and hang them. No more waiting almost a year. Bring on the DIY (Do It Yourself) Fun. This girl is on a role. 

Tada!  Yup I did that

Just what the walls needed to add character

Writing from the Soul

I was recently wandering the aisles of TJ Maxx during one of my many holiday shopping trips. I love stores like that, because you never know what you might find. So there I was wandering around, enjoying the holiday music, luckily it was before the holiday rush so it wasn't too crowded, on my present shopping mission. I was sorting through some piles when I came across this notebook. 

Love what the outside says...I create the inside

When I read the cover it made me feel warm and happy inside. I put the book in the "maybe" part of my shopping cart. I told myself, you don't need another notebook. What will you even use it for? When it was time to pay, I couldn't seem to put the notebook back on the self, so it came home with me. 

I love my notebook.  When I was younger I used to write in a diary, not sure why I stopped, but this reminded me of that. One night I wasn't able to sleep, too much rolling around in my head I guess. I took out my notebook and just started writing. I wrote down things I didn't even know I was worrying about or feeling. My thoughts jumped around from work, dating, health, goals, you name it...It felt great to get them all out. I wasn't worried about spelling or proper grammar, I just wrote what I was feeling. Once I was done I put the book away, shut my light, and went right to sleep. 

I have continued to write in that back almost every night. It's like I am writing my fears and worries away. I am releasing them and can move on. Who knew a simple notebook that caught my eye in TJ Maxx would come to make such a big difference for me.