Kids, Bikes, and Pepperoni Oh My!

Once again I failed to keep up with my posting. I promise I will get better. Some highlights from  last weekend...

I was off Friday so I got a nice long weekend. I will try and do that more often. It was nice to be away from the office for a little. Back to the fun...my weekend was truly a mix of relaxing and fun. Friday afternoon I had my nieces, all to myself. This was a first and won't be the last! I love spending time with those girls so much. They even put together a list of goodies I should keep at my place for the next time they come over. I'm really looking forward to more opportunities over the summer to have them and spend time with them. I did sleep good that night! 

My nieces, Ashley and Kaitlyn! 

Saturday morning I went bicycle riding with my dad. Now that may not seem like much to some, but this was my first time on a bike since I was 12! My very brave dad let me borrow his spare bike, he got it all set for me, and took me out around town. I was so very nervous. He was very patient! At first I was wobbly and couldn't go straight, but towards the end of the ride I was mostly stable and enjoying. I could still use some work on my turns and stopping quickly. The only reason we stopped was because my butt was killing me! It's now 2 days later and my butt is still sore lol! I had a blast, might invest in a better seat so I can ride with him more. It was also really fun switching up my workout.  

Thankfully my coworker lent me a helmet

My dad! He was so patient and calm with me

Saturday afternoon was spent relaxing at the pool and then my mom, sister, and nieces came for fun in the pool. I was glad I brought a packet of almonds because I was hungry! Saturday night was spent at a friend's house just chatting around the table with goodies and having fun. The rest of the weekend was mostly relaxing and some errands.

I can't believe it's already coming to an end and back to work tomorrow, but I'm glad I enjoyed every minute I could. As for eating...well did you know Weight Watcher's weekly points can go into the negative? They can. I didn't drink or eat enough during the day and at night it usually backfired. I ate my pantry and at my friend's house I overate pepperoni and kielbasi. Sure it was better than chips and pretzels and was at least low carb, but calories are calories. And I ate lots and lots of very portable almonds this weekend. 

I will find my summer rhythm with food and getting hydrated, since I can't undo the weekend goofiest just said oh well and moved on. I'm tired of beating myself up all the time if I am not perfect. 

Finally, last but not least, today I started my new Beachbody workout called Insanity Max 30. Let me tell you this workout is no joke!! None stop for 30 minutes. When you take a break that's when you "max out". My first cardio challenge workout and I maxed out at 12 minutes. That is now my time to beat. My goal is 5 lbs gone by July 4! There it is in writing. 

No joke this workout is crazy intense and so good!

 

I was a sweaty mess after my first Insanity Max 90 workout

 

 

 

Can you feel my determination!!! 

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.

End of Year Shenanigans

I'm back!  Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I feel like these last few months of 2014 flew by. Thank you to my blogging buddy Gwen for reminding me to get my butt back here. For those of you who don't know Gwen she writes a blog called The Sunny Coconut. If you are looking for honest, sincere, and success please check out her page. When I am feeling blah I read her posts and they usually get me moving again.

Even with all the craziness I am proud to say I have kept up with my workouts and yes, counted ever calorie and carb that went in my body. Even wine. On days when I knew an afternoon workout wasn't possible I got up early to at least get a run in.

5:21 a.m. I took this photo as workout proof for
 trainer Mark that I got a run in

So what else have I been up to...

Work holiday party. This is now a favorite outfit!

No complaints about the food by me...yum!
I shared leftover with my dad later that night

Hanukkah! The best part of Hanukkah for me, is watching my nieces open there presents. Now that they are older and really appreciate things, the look on their faces makes me a big puddle of Aunt Cindy.

Hmm, yeah they got a few presents

Hanukkah selfie with my favorite girls

Can't forget a silly selfie

I think this is our first family photo in many years.
thank you to the Iphone timer feature

And just to add to my fun and shenanigans, I got to ride with my fire company and Santa around town. Still not sure who gets more excited about Santa coming around town the parents, the kids, or me.

Great people, fire trucks,
candy canes, Santa, a lot of fun and so many laughs!

That's the quick and fun of my last month. I know everyone is big on New Years Resolutions, but I must admit it's not my thing. I try and look at every day as an opportunity to grow and enjoy even the little things.  Something that I do like to do throughout the year is make goals. Big ones and small ones. So what are some my goals? I want to play more in the kitchen and share my ideas and yes even failures with you. My goal to health, fitness, and weight loss is an ongoing process.  I would also love to save up for a new camera so I can play around with my photography skills a little more and be creative. These are just a few.

I would like to thank all of you for reading my posts and wish you a very happy, healthy, and safe New Years!!

On a Quest for Protein

One of the biggest things I have come realize is the large role food plays in our daily lives. I don't just mean because it tastes good or stops your stomach from grumbling during a meeting. I have noticed how certain foods make me feel. Some fuel me for a workout while others make me want to take a nap. Finding the right food for me to eat before working out has become a large part of my journey. I have discovered some really good food options, check out my chicken in a can blog post for that delicious option, I absolutely love eating that on just my cardio days. On days when I train with Mark I am really pushing myself and started feeling like I need a little something extra. I asked around the gym and found a lot of people drink protein shakes or eat protein bars. The next time I was good shopping I checked some labels and was bummed. A lot of them are FULL of carbohydrates, high calories, made with soy, gluten, tons of sugar, and not what I wanted. There goes that idea I thought, until one day on twitter someone mentioned QuestBars. I decided to check them out and was very pleasantly surprised.

My favorite flavor of QuestBar
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

The QuestBars weren't full of sugar at all, low in calories, gluten free, low in carbs, not full of so many crazy ingredients that I can't even pronounce. I was excited, but thought how good could these taste. I found out they sell them at the GNC down the street and off I went. I picked up a bunch of different flavors like, chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies and cream, white chocolate raspberry, and apple pie. These are just a few of the flavors they offer. The next day before my workout with Mark I ate the chocolate chip cookie dough bar. I loved that I was able to eat it in the car on the way to the gym, my meeting ran late and I wouldn't have had time to sit down with a fork and eat anything else.  So how did it taste you ask?  DELICIOUS!!!!  I loved it. Perfect texture, perfect flavor, didn't leave a weird after taste or leave me craving for more sugar or bad stuff.  Now the big question...how did it hold up against a Mark workout? PERFECT!  I was well fueled throughout the workout and even earned the nickname tiny beast.  I now have a bar before every workout.

There are so many different delicious flavors for you to choose from
Trust me you won't get bored!

I tried most of the other flavors and have to say the chocolate chip cookie dough and cookies and cream bars are my favorite. I buy them by the box at GNC. I have also used them as a dessert substitute. There aren't many desserts I can enjoy these days without feeling yucky after or guilty. One night after having dinner with my family I felt a little blah because I wanted the dessert, but knew I would regret it. I remembered I had a bar stashed in my purse so I took it out and got to enjoy dessert with everyone else without feeling guilty. I wouldn't recommend doing that all the time as the bars are high in protein, but for the occasional treat with friends and family I say indulge and have fun.

The box description talked me into giving them a try
so very glad I did

For more information about the Quest bars and ingredients check out the Quest website at http://www.questnutrition.com/ingredients/

Disclaimer:  I am in no way affiliated with Quest. I just love their product and wanted to share my new favorite find!!

To Wine or Not to Wine

No I am not talking about the type of whine you hear from me after an arms workout; I am talking about the wine made from grapes. I bet I have your attention now...

Wine makes me happy inside

When I started cleaning up my diet at the beginning of the year, I only wanted to eat and drink foods that I felt would be healthy and have nutritious benefits for my every day life. Alcohol didn't seem to fit into that category so I cut it out. I had a glass of wine on February 1 at a fire department function and didn't even have a sip for months after that.....until recently. 

Let me explain. Lately I have been thinking about maybe adding in a glass sometimes, I admit after a tough week it is nice to unwind with a good glass and relax your crazy week away. So I looked up the nutritional value and found that a 4 oz glass of Barefoot Moscato (I love Moscato) contains 120 calories and 11g of carbs. Hmm would it be worth it to consume my calories and carbs in the form of a drink that had really no big benefit to me drinking it except I enjoy it??

Hmm... I like the way this guy thinkshttp://www.stelladot.com/

And then last weekend happened...I had a date. I was sort of set up by a friend of a friend and for some reason I was nervous. You would think after so many dates, especially with being on match for a few months I wouldn't even be phased, but that night I was feeling my nervousness.  When we got to the restaurant I decided tonight would be a great night to slowly get back into drinking wine. I ordered my drink, very much aware that I hadn't had anything to drink in a while and I didn't want this to go to my head too quick, so I sipped extra slow and enjoyed. It tasted delicious and I admit it helped me to  relax just a little and enjoy the evening. We had fun that night and yes we have seen each other since. 

Ha ha, yup

I was pleased the next morning when the scale stayed the same, I wasn't feeling yucky at all, and I got right back into my workout routine. So here is my thinking, it's okay to have a little indulgence occasionally, as long as it's not something that will make you sick due to an allergy or sensitivity, and the rest of the time you eat and drink healthy and continue to workout. Moderation and balance is the key. 

I have no idea what the future holds with dating and the new guy, but I do know wine is now back in my life!

Mind Over Body For Success

Last week was my first full week back to the gym since the beginning of summer. I started with my new trainer Mark and made some new gym buddies. I loved being back in the gym atmosphere. I switched up my cardio a little to break away from my safe treadmill, have you ever heard of a seated elliptical? I definitely didn't until that day and now I love it. The guy next to me had to show me where all of the adjustments were, but once I got going I was hooked. The biggest change was the new trainer.  My first trainer when I joined the gym started off great and then went down hill, I wasn't sad when he was no longer at the gym, the next trainer was okay but definitely didn't keep me coming back for more (hello summer off). I spoke to the assistant manager before setting my appointment and after talking to her a few minutes she said she knew exactly who I should train with. I went with her gut and set the appointment. I am so happy I did.

I want working out to be a part of my every day life.
If I enjoy the process, I will come back for more

Mark is amazing!! I now workout with him two times a week. The first time we met it was mostly to go over food, my goals and expectations, took all of my measurements and even did my weight and body fat % (yikes). Next was our workout, it was tough, but I enjoyed it. For the first time I was sweating and feeling like I was really working towards my goal of not just weight loss, but overall tone and health. The next workout was arms...um ouch. What I really like about the workouts he teaches, is that I feel confident enough to go in and do it by myself on days I am not training with him. One the biggest reasons I had for getting a trainer was to learn how to do it on my own, without being afraid.

Knowledge is power...
When I am done with my training sessions,
I will know how to continue my workout success and not be afraid

I also love that he not only pushes me, but he encourages as well. He is such a positive influence and has this amazing energy to be around, he somehow even manages to keep me laughing throughout my workout. Last night's workout was legs. Mark pushed me to the point where my legs felt like jello and shaking all over. I was dripping with sweat and at one point was ready to give up. He wouldn't let me, he kept telling me to push myself, to do it for myself, I had it in me and not to give up. At that point, instead of thinking about my jello legs I concentrated on his words. I thought about my body and how I want it to look. I thought about all my hard work and how good it was feeling. I thought about not letting myself down and not letting him down. I could do and I did do it. I finished all my reps and went through the entire workout routine. I was exhausted, sweaty, and shaking, and couldn't have been more proud of myself. I also can not wait to workout with him again next week.

This is exactly how I felt walking this morning!!
At least I was laughing while trying to walk

I realized sometimes it's your mind letting you down, telling you to give up or you can't do something. I believe for the most part if we tell our mind to be quiet for a second, be positive instead of negative, and believe in ourselves you can accomplish anything!!

I'm not done until Mark says I am done,
 and then he tells me to do more

And yes my legs are hurting big time today, but I will still be in the gym this afternoon for my cardio routine telling my head to be quiet I can do it.

Excellent Egg Muffins

As you know, I love eggs! They can be cooked so many different ways, combined with different foods, and so filling. 

I started back at my gym this week, which feels painful and wonderful at the same time, and I wanted to try switching up my pre-workout snacks. I was looking for something full of good protein and fat, not too high in calories, and of course low carb. One of the trainers I was talking to suggested making egg muffins. Egg muffins!  Why didn't I think of that. They are so easy to make and I can stick a couple in a zipblock bag to take with me. Off I went food shopping...

Ingredients: 

(Makes 12 muffins)

10 eggs

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

6-7 Broccoli florets

Salt

Pepper

Cooking Spray

Egg muffin ingredients; eggs, broccoli, cheese...sounds easy, because it is!

** You can use whatever cheese you like, and also add in any type of vegetable. I think next time I am going to try it with bacon added in. YUM! **

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray the muffin tin with the cooking spray. 

Crack all 10 eggs in bowl. I like to crack the eggs first just in case some shells sneak past me I can get them out easier. 

Cracking the eggs and trying to not get any shells slip past me

Mix the eggs up and then it's time to add the 1 cup of cheese (add more or less to your tasting).

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese added to the mixture

Since I am not the most professional or technical I just took a couple of broccoli florets and broke them apart with my fingers, it was quick and easy. Then just add your salt and pepper to taste.

Broccoli adds another level of nutrition and deliciousness

I used a 1/4 cup measuring spoon to make sure each muffin tin received the same amount of the mixture, it also helped me when figuring out the nutritional properties to enter into myfitnesspal. 

By using the measuring cup I knew exactly how much mixture
was going in each tin

Ready for the oven!

I set my timer for 15 minutes and was very excited to see how they turned out. Light and fluffy and delicious!!

Low calories, low carb, highly delicious egg muffins!

I love how easy they are to store!

These are an easy to store and quick to grab and go snack idea

I will definitely be making these again, just as soon I finish this first batch! 

Learn to Trust Your Body

A few years ago a friend of a friend approached me to help him with some administrative/marketing work for the gym he had opened up. I knew financially they weren't set yet so we decided to make a deal. He was going to give me a super low discount and train me personally for my administrative/marketing services. Since I was really wanting to get into shape I was on board with that deal. This wasn't your everyday treadmill, weights, classes type of gym; this was more of a boot camp style gym. Before we even started working out I warned him that I had a very weak lower back and sometimes my knees bothered me and wanted to make sure that wouldn't be a problem. He assured me it would not be a problem and he would modify moves to prevent injury. I worked out with him for about a week and was feeling sore, but knew I was working towards my goal.  During the second week I went in like usual for my workout, he decided to switch up the routine a little and we used medicine balls and dummies to drag around. Turns out I was the dummy that day and didn't listen to my body. I knew something didn't feel right during some of the moves, but thought, this guy is professionally trained and must know what he is doing.....

They know a lot, but you know your body.
Don't forget to tune in and listen to yourself
Pic: http://www.memecreator.org/

After waking up the next day and passing out from the pain I was in when I tried to move. I went to a chiropractor for a full workup. He discovered I had 2 bulging discs and 1 partially herniated. OUCH!  I continued to see him multiple times on a weekly basis to get myself back in action for a very long time. During each session, or every time my back would twinge, or when I see the shoes I can no longer wear due to the heel size, I repeated to myself...why didn't I just trust myself when I knew that workout was bad for me.

Moving was not an option
pic: https://lapsedpt.wordpress.com/page/2/

I learned a lot from that experience. The biggest being, trust your body and instincts. Sure he was professionally trained, but that doesn't mean he knows everything and he especially doesn't know my body. I should have stopped him and refused to do the workout, even though he told me to work through the pain. Big lesson learned. Through my chiropractor I  learned about the importance of stretching. My chiropractor gave me tons of stretches to do on my own to help loosen everything up and that made a tremendous difference. I found this really neat deck of cards that shows other stretches and techniques, they explain every move and even have pictures on them to help you visually see what the stretch should look like. The stretches are for all over the body, not just your back. I highly recommend them. I still do my stretches after every single workout or even on days when I feel my muscles tight. The last big lesson I learned was to always keep a good heating pad in your home!!

Stretch Cards
Really helpful information to get you started stretching

Front and back pictures of the cards
One side explains and the other side shows

I know my back will never be the same again, but I am learning more and more how to help myself and maybe this story will help prevent someone in the future from going through what I did and if you already suffer from aches and pains check out different stretches that you might benefit from.

Wake Up and Workout

A few months back I mentioned that I joined a gym and I love going. I never thought I would say I love the gym, but I do. I loved learning how to use the different pieces of equipment, the atmosphere, and the mental escape for the time I am in there. But then summer happened, and along with summer came more daylight, beautiful warm weather, and after work outdoor fun! I think I made it to the gym after work about once all summer. Sure I was usually swimming in the pool with my family or going to backyard BBQs, but I missed my workouts.

The girls enjoying ice cream from the ice cream truck
Dad and me lounging in the pool...
(moments before this picture I tried to jump on the raft and lost my bathing suit bottom,
not sure who turned redder me or the life guard!)

One morning I woke up early, I had too much on my mind. It was 5:30 a.m., not enough time before the alarm clock going off to even try and go back to sleep, so instead I got up and decided to go for a jog on my treadmill. After about a minute I felt wide awake. By 5 minutes my mind, which had been running in circles with too much to think about, was now open and clear. After that I didn't check the time, it was full speed ahead and felt amazing!! 

Yup, I took an early morning workout selfie

I enjoyed that workout so much I now set my alarm clock to get up at 5:30 every morning. My morning and days no longer feel as awake and complete without that workout. I also get to watch the sunrise, hear the birds chirp (when I turn the headphones off), and enjoy the quiet that comes with mornings. I also love knowing that no matter how the rest of the day unfolds and no matter how busy I get I at least got my minimum 2 mile jog done for the day.

My morning treadmill view
L: When I first hop on the treadmill
M: During my jog..don't worry I slowed down to take this picture
R: When I am finished and ready to start the day

I still love the gym and get there whenever I can, in fact, I am going to try some Zumba and yoga classes this month with a friend. I can't always control the evening, but now I know the morning is all mine and totally worth getting up early. If you can get up and get moving I highly recommend, and the best part is, once you do it a few times I bet you will be hooked! 

Light a Fire Under Yourself and Workout!

This past week I got to do a live fire training drill at our fire county academy with my department. Again, I am not a firefighter. I do not go inside. What I do is help out the department behind the scenes, offering support. In addition I do photography. A lot of people ask me why I take the photos? My answer, I am not like reporters trying to take pictures of just the bad/scary stuff, I take pictures of the men and women who risk their lives to save people, homes, and memories. Those men and women should be proud of themselves and I want to give them a glimpse to see what the rest of us see and how truly amazing they are. A few years ago after a particularly large fire, I gave a photo to firemen from another company. He had been a firefighter for most of his life and he was an older gentleman. When I saw him next he brought me over to his gear rack to show me he framed and displayed the picture above it. He hugged and thanked me for that memory. It was a really amazing feeling. I have also been able to work with police departments,who have used my photos in their files when working on cases related to the accident or fire. Families have contacted me for photos to give to their insurance company to help them out. I have been very fortunate to work with some of the amazing men and women.

Spring 2014, house fire.
Everyone got out safe. 

Crews working hard to put it out the fire.
It's all about TEAMWORK!

When we are at the academy I wear firefighter turnout gear as added protection. Last year was my first year with my new fire company and I had to get a set from them. Since I don't go in and I don't need the same level as protection; I typically get the stuff that the active firemen can't wear anymore due to rips, tears, overuse. Which means....you get what is available and hope it fits. Somehow they managed to get me a full set. The pants were a little snug, the jacket was large, but the boots were just right. I got to go to the drill with them. As I walked around snapping my pictures I felt like I was dragging my body in all the gear. I didn't want to climb the trucks for higher up shots. I know I missed out on some amazing photos because I couldn't move quick enough. Good thing I wasn't inside fighting the fire! I was so sore and tired the next day.

Being fitted for turnout gear with my new company

One year later....

This past week when I had to put on my gear I noticed the pants were super loose, I needed the suspenders to hold them up! The jacket was ginormous making me feel like I was playing dress up in my dad's gear. Even the boots were looser. I was so excited!! I was all over that drill grabbing pictures and moments to share with the company. I wasn't dragging myself or tired after at all. I know this is all due to my hard work over the last year. Eating better, working out, taking care of myself. It was the most wonderful and proud feeling. It may have also opened up the door for a new opportunity to work with an incredible, well respected man in the fire community. I will talk about that more if it pans out, but let's just say I hope it does and I am in the gym stepping up my workout routine so I can keep up, grab the photos, and it doesn't hurt to look good while doing it!

Live training this past week.
Crews inside working

Live training this past week
Training teams working together and learn new techniques

All or Nothing

Growing up my mom used to tell me to stop looking at things as either black or white; sometimes there is grey. It used to drive me crazy when she would say that, until I started realizing she was right. Mom if you are reading this, I am 100% admitting you are right and thank you for always saying that line to me. Gray area to me equals the middle of all or nothing.

I've been using this all or nothing mentality for the longest time with working out. Unless I could do a full high intensity workout I would think what is the point. Now I am learning that even a little bit is better than nothing. Some days, weeks, months, are busier than others so instead of saying I can't do an hour I won't do anything, I now do what I can. If I can give 20 minutes I give a hardworking 20 minutes.

The other thing I learned is that a little bit can go a long way. I fully admit that a few weeks ago I could not do one push up. Not even using my knees. I felt like such a let down to myself. I have recently become more determined than ever to nail push-ups. Every day I have to at least try. It may sound like a long process, but as of today I can do 6 beautiful push-ups and I am feeling pretty accomplished. I know I have lots of work ahead of me, but this is a great start and it is just a reminder that my hard work is paying off. It may not happen overnight like I would like but it is happening.

So drop and give me 10 or 6 or 1! Just don't stop trying.

I used my new ipad camera timer app. 

Pretty neat, but next time I promise better lighting